Improved railway-switch



I To all/whom#maycmwern:

Be it known that we,`J.` B COX, JAMES ,OCON

J'.- "n cox, JAMES ocoNNoR,

AND LneliiAnL eAnALAN, i GEORGIA;

i Letters Patent No; 97 ,8846,7dated .December` V14 1869.

e y IMPROVED RAILWAY-SWITCH..

.The Schedule referred to hx these Letters'Patent and making part o! the same.

non, andiMIcHAEL GAHALAN, of Columbus', in the county of Muscogee, in the State of Georgia, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Rail road-Switches; and we do `herebydeclare that the following is a full `and exact description thereof, reference' being had to' theac-companying drawings, and

i the letters of reference `marked thereon.

y Our invention `consistsin the arrangement of two [sets of switch-rails, thatare operated upon by cranks lupon a rock-shaft, and with which they 'are connected by jointed links, one set of suoli switchrails being moved a greater vdistance than the other, so that with such arrangement, the switch-rails, when `moved from the straiglittrack, will connect with each other, and withthe standing sideling trackkand be in a curved line, instead of, as is generally the ease, in straight lines, and forming angles at their point of meeting, with the special operating-devices. l `Figure 1 is a plan view of the arrangement' of the tracks, when laid upon our improved method, and the mode of operating the same. d p i Figure 2 is a transverse section ofthe same.

'lo enable others skilled in the art Ato construct and use our invention, we will describe its'construction and The bed of the track is provided with the proper ties and sills, to support firmly, and in the proper place, the rails-and their chairs.

A A represent the long switch-rails, having one end at o, inserted in lthe chair, to meet the fixed rail in the V permanent track.

Near to the other end of'rails A A is the couplingbar D, which is fastened to the rails, and connects` with link H, which is attached to crank E of the'rockshaft E, which is suitably secured, and so that it will freely rotateon its axis; as the switch-rails are sprung in either direction, `one will `strike against stop-chairs b, which will Vcause the railsto be iu curve line, when in their` position, to connect with the sideling track or rails B" andvG", which are also curved, to correspond with` the curvature of the switch-rails A A, when turned'ito meettlieni.

Situated between switch-rails A A and the inner rails of the standing sideling tracks B" BTG" C", and standing,straighttracks-A' A', are the short switchrails B B and B' B',

The ends of these rails B and B', at x, .are fixed iin chairs, and in the position shown. The other ends are so that they can be moved to be coincident with the `standing curved `rails B" B" G" G", and standing w straight rails A A', by` means of coupling-bar D', link H', and crank E", upon rock-shaft'E.

Upon the cross-sills are stop-chairs e,.which, as the I ends of the rails B and B 'are moved to one side or `the i p other', will cause them to curve, to correspond with Sie curvature of the switch-rails A A,

Il GU" v At the centre of the length of the rock-shaft E, is the operating-lever F, and so arranged, with relation to the rock-shaft and its cranks E E", that when itis perpendicular above the shaft, the cranks will be vperpendicular under the shaft E. p Crank Eis of the length to move the rails A Afrom B."` B", and

their position of connecting with the vstraight track, to.

connect with short switch-rails, as shown in dotted lines in iig. 1, and crank E" is of the length from' the shaft to `move the rails B, to connect with the rails B and rails B', to connect with rails C".

Crank E4 is usually one-half the length of crank E', so that the rails A A will move twice as' far by turning the lever F, as the rails B and B will move, but must, in all cases, be so proportioned that the' moving of the lever F from its' perpendicular position over to a horizontal, that .the switcherails will always becoincident' or connect with the standing rails. A

`Lever E is made to `pass between the legs of the stand, which are so formed as' Ato be of suiicient strength to hold the leverin its perpendicular posi tion, where it can be held by pin c, that goes through .the holes `in the stand, and a corresponding hole in the lever. i a

Then the lever is thrown over to a horizontal position, the switch-rails are moved to either one side or the other of the straight track, on to sideling tracks, and is held in such horizontal position by means ,of a mort-isc inthe lever, going over a staple in, the plat- `formor sill, and passing 'the holding-pine, through the staple above the lever.

By this arrangement of the switch-rails with the standing track and sidelings, the use oithe frogs, that generally intervene, are done away with, thus saving much expense,inconstruction, and having aswitch that is always safe and reliable, easy of operation, and

durable, L Having thus described `our invention,

What we claim, and desi-re to secure by Letters Patent, isy v The combination of the switch-bars A A, B B, and B B' ,stop-chairs b and e, with the coupling-bars D and ir, lever F, all constructed and arranged to operatein the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

COX. i JAMES OCONNOB. MICHAEL .CAHALAN Witnesses:

J omt QUIR, .ToHN B. MCGOVERN.

orv COLUMBUS,

links H H', cranks E' E", rock-shaft E, `and 

